Polyol resins are useful sources of hydroxyl functionality in the manufacture synthetic lubricant esters, rosin esters for printing ink vehicles, tackifying resins, and alkyd resins for paints and coatings. Each of these products can benefit from a polyol resin that is "hard". Hard resins are desirable for fast drying ink varnishes or ink vehicles. Hardness is also useful for producing synthetic lubricants with low viscosities at arctic temperatures (about -40.degree. F.) and good thermal stability at higher temperatures. The "hardness" of resins is measured by the conventional ball and ring softening temperature and is an indication of both the melting point and viscosity of the resin.
Resins presented as "hard", however, have different physical forms and relatively low hydroxyl functionality. Many purportedly "hard" resins are highly viscous liquids or gelatinous semisolids which are useful to some extent but are inconvenient to package and transport. These resins usually have a limited degree of hydroxyl functionality at the terminal ends of the polymer chain.
It would be desireable to have a hard polyol resin with a high degree of hydroxyl functionality.
It would also be desireable to have a hard polyol resin that exhibited a solid physical form that could be easily packaged and transported.